*d2mini's 200g Reeftastic Reef - Part Deux!*

[timdyer86]

Awesome tank! Following this thread for advice on future 220 build.

 

[gettaReef]

Maybe once a year?
I was going to do it during the rebuild but it got so crazy with so much other stuff to do I just left it. Plus it's been pretty cold and nasty outside.
I'll probably do it sometime over the next few months.
Doesn't really bother anything other than looking ugly. haha

What's your process in cleaning it and what type of cleaner (vinegar, mutric acid, etc) you use? I have the same gunk built up in my brute

 

[Sangheili]

So I got my AWC and ATO running using some Cole-Parmer Masterflex pumps.
I needed peristaltic pumps due to the fact that my reservoirs sit higher than my sump.

Why not gravity feed a solenoid valve that is normally closed with power off and control it via apex? Not sure I've seen anyone try that. I had similar concerns so I used the ATO built into my Pac Sun doser combined with a very small water reservoir at sump level (which gets refilled via float valve from the RODI container).

 

[msderganc]

Why not gravity feed a solenoid valve that is normally closed with power off and control it via apex? Not sure I've seen anyone try that. I had similar concerns so I used the ATO built into my Pac Sun doser combined with a very small water reservoir at sump level (which gets refilled via float valve from the RODI container).

I kind of do that with an aqualifter and it works well.

 

[d2mini]

Awesome tank! Following this thread for advice on future 220 build.

Thanks! Welcome aboard.

What's your process in cleaning it and what type of cleaner (vinegar, mutric acid, etc) you use? I have the same gunk built up in my brute

Just some vinegar, garden hose, and a long handle scrub brush in my driveway. I think the brush was meant for wheels.

Why not gravity feed a solenoid valve that is normally closed with power off and control it via apex? Not sure I've seen anyone try that. I had similar concerns so I used the ATO built into my Pac Sun doser combined with a very small water reservoir at sump level (which gets refilled via float valve from the RODI container).

Cause I don't own an apex.
No, that would probably work. Depending on the flow rate. But a peristaltic pump is the safest. Impossible for it to fail and allow water to start flowing.

 

[revhtree]

Beautiful coral shots! Great job!

 

[ReEfnWrX]

But a peristaltic pump is the safest. Impossible for it to fail and allow water to start flowing.

Agreed... should never use a single solenoid to control flow on a line that can gravity feed, there is no failsafe.

 

[d2mini]

Beautiful coral shots! Great job!

Thanks, Rev!

 

[msderganc]

Cause I don't own an apex.
No, that would probably work. Depending on the flow rate. But a peristaltic pump is the safest. Impossible for it to fail and allow water to start flowing.

Agreed... should never use a single solenoid to control flow on a line that can gravity feed, there is no failsafe.

Just FYI, there was an incident with a peristaltic pump (Neptune DoS) dumping gallons of alkalinity into a system. It was an issue with how the rollers aligned, and could happen with most peristaltic pumps.

 

[d2mini]

Just FYI, there was an incident with a peristaltic pump (Neptune DoS) dumping gallons of alkalinity into a system. It was an issue with how the rollers aligned, and could happen with most peristaltic pumps.

Never say never, right?

But you also can't compare a Cole-Parmer to the DOS.
But yeah, anything mechanical can fail. I just think the CP is the safest bet.
Having played with the pump heads, I can't see how anything could shift and allow it to dump, unless someone actually lifted the lever to open the pump head.
The steel rollers won't wear down like plastic ones and there is no play.

 

[gtbarsi]

Never say never, right?

But you also can't compare a Cole-Parmer to the DOS.
But yeah, anything mechanical can fail. I just think the CP is the safest bet.
Having played with the pump heads, I can't see how anything could shift and allow it to dump, unless someone actually lifted the lever to open the pump head.
The steel rollers won't wear down like plastic ones and there is no play.

Yes, in addition the Cole-Parmer heads use at least 3 rollers so no matter what you have at least 1 roller completely cutting off the flow through the pump. A lot of dosing pumps I have seen only have two and I do not care for that setup. The other thing that is nice/interesting about CP heads is that when you have more than one on a drive you can stagger the position of the rollers from one pump to the next so that you do not have all of the heads hitting a tight point at the same time. It leads to smoother pumping.

Dennis, has some really nice drives for his CP pump heads, but there are some lesser ones that really benefit from the offset roller configurations that the CP heads let you do.

 

[gtbarsi]

Agreed... should never use a single solenoid to control flow on a line that can gravity feed, there is no failsafe.

A solenoid by itself is not safe but something as simple as a float valve in the sump could provide the necessary failsafe. That is not to say that using a peristaltic pump is a bad way to go, it definitely is one of the best ways you could do it with out an apex or other controller.

 

[ReEfnWrX]

A solenoid by itself is not safe but something as simple as a float valve in the sump could provide the necessary failsafe. That is not to say that using a peristaltic pump is a bad way to go, it definitely is one of the best ways you could do it with out an apex or other controller.

A float valve provides no fail safe for a failed solenoid on a gravity fed line

 

[gtbarsi]

A float valve provides no fail safe for a failed solenoid on a gravity fed line

If you are talking ATO, putting a float valve in the sump so the water level would have to be low in order for the water the solenoid is allowing to pass to be allowed into the sump. If you want a visual look at the avast ATO and the option float valve they offer as a fail safe.

 

[ReEfnWrX]

If you are talking ATO, putting a float valve in the sump so the water level would have to be low in order for the water the solenoid is allowing to pass to be allowed into the sump. If you want a visual look at the avast ATO and the option float valve they offer as a fail safe.

if the solenoid fails open, it doesn't matter what the float valve tells the controller... that solenoid will not close and you have an open siphon

 

[msderganc]

if the solenoid fails open, it doesn't matter what the float valve tells the controller... that solenoid will not close and you have an open siphon

A float valve works mechanically, so it's unlikely to fail. Maybe you read it as float switch?

 

[ReEfnWrX]

A float valve works mechanically, so it's unlikely to fail. Maybe you read it as float switch?

Yeah my bad lol

 

[d2mini]

Ya float valves will stick in the closed position. But I once had an eshopps ATO in a previous tank and the float valve cracked, causing a slow drip. It was slow enough that I caught it before my sump overflowed.

 

[gtbarsi]

No quantity of backups are enough if you are not monitoring your system.
The float valve is a decent backup for the solenoid, in addition a high level water level sensor would not be a bad idea to throw an alarm, try and shut the solenoid, or take some other action.

 

[d2mini]

Few coral pics from this weekend.
And there are more to come once I can finish processing them.